Chapter 587: Opponent Confirmed
After an abnormal first half, the game finally returned to its expected course and turned into a high-scoring shootout. The final score was 45-28. The two quarterbacks on both teams contributed eight passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, bringing the offensive philosophy to its extreme. The back-and-forth offense was dazzling and incredibly satisfying to watch.
The only regret was that Matthew Stafford's performance was stable throughout the game, but he lacked the aggression in crucial moments. After entering the fourth quarter, the Detroit Lions were unable to keep up with the pace. After the gap was widened, Stafford's performance did not show an explosive power in time. In the end, he could only watch as the more experienced Drew Brees dominated and swept the field.
The final score difference was larger than expected. The first game of the 2011 season playoffs ended with a New Orleans Saints victory! At the same time, this also meant that the San Francisco 49ers' divisional round opponent was officially decided.
According to the rules, the NFL playoffs are divided into: the first-round wild card game, the second-round divisional game, and the third-round conference championship game. Finally, the two conference champions meet in the Super Bowl. The second-round divisional round matchups are as follows: among the two winning teams from the first-round wild card game, the one with the lower seed plays against the number one seed, and the one with the higher seed plays against the number two seed.
In simple terms, if the sixth-seed Detroit Lions had won the first wild card game, they would have played against the number one seed Green Bay Packers, and the winner of the other wild card game would have played against the number two seed San Francisco 49ers. The current situation, however, was different. As the third seed, after the New Orleans Saints' victory, they were now confirmed to play against the number two seed San Francisco 49ers. In the other game, the winner between the fourth-seed New York Giants and the fifth-seed Atlanta Falcons would play against the number one seed Green Bay Packers. Then, the winners of these two games would advance to the conference championship game to compete for the NFC title and a ticket to the Super Bowl.
When the referee blew the final whistle, everyone in the house looked thoughtful. Compared to the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints were undoubtedly a more dangerous and tougher opponent. It would be a more serious test for both the San Francisco 49ers' defense and offense, especially Drew Brees. There were only four elite quarterbacks for a reason: they were the best of the best.
But Logan's first reaction was to jump up, wave his fists, and cheer excitedly, "Wow, finally! We finally get to play the Saints! An offensive shootout! Offense! Bambi, Bambi, it's your time to shine! Let them see what we're capable of!" Clearly, the excitement for the game had completely taken over.
This was the nature of competitive sports: a craving for a strong matchup, a desire to challenge a powerful opponent. The stronger the opponent, the more intense the passion! If they started to feel timid and afraid, that would be the first step toward failure! It wasn't until Julia reminded him that Logan realized that the Saints' victory also meant "Team Logan's" loss. More importantly, in every single detailed bet, "Team Logan" was at a disadvantage. During the game, Lu Ke had an amazing intuition about the game's progression, as if... he was in complete control. Although an outsider may have a clearer view, Lu Ke's performance was still incredibly impressive.
"Bambi, after you retire, maybe you can become an excellent, top-tier guest commentator. God, you're a prophet. You can always predict their next move. How do you do it? Don't tell me it's all from the playbook!" This was from Austin's heartfelt exclamation, and everyone else also expressed their agreement.
Lu Ke answered honestly, "Since the beginning of the season, I've been studying the game footage of the four elite quarterbacks, and that includes Brees." The ability to predict and interpret comes from a quarterback's sense and understanding. After Tactical Awareness broke the full-score barrier, its effectiveness was once again proven, but it was still mostly due to experience. In fact, Lu Ke's predictions weren't that accurate yet, after all, he still lacked experience. But in front of a group of amateur fans, Lu Ke could be called king.
"Team Logan" lost, and "Team Lu Ke" won. So, Lu Ke gathered his supporters and whispered with them about the punishment. Seeing the pride and excitement in their eyes, Logan cried out, "That was our idea! Hey, how can you do this? Don't you know about intellectual property?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Ke turned his head and said with a big smile, "Or would you prefer to use my idea?" That one sentence made Logan touch his neck and shut up, but he still said reluctantly, "Bambi, don't be so ruthless. We're playing against the Saints next week. You must want me to be in good shape, right? The Saints are a tough team. We have to give it our all!"
"Yeah, I know, I know of course," Lu Ke nodded repeatedly. "Otherwise, why do you think I used your idea and not mine? Ah, it's a shame. I originally wanted to add chili oil, not the kind from a Mexican restaurant, but the kind from Sichuan, China. It would guarantee to make you hurt, but... to keep you in good shape for the game, I can only reluctantly give it up. What do you think?"
Logan's face turned pale. He gritted his teeth fiercely. "You're a monster!"
A few minutes later, the water bucket punishment officially began. Everyone started to cheer and encourage the punished, and the whole house was filled with a uniform chant:
"Saints! Saints! Saints!"
The roar was deafening and powerful. After a brief period of hesitation and panic, everyone calmed down. Since the opponent had been decided, being timid and backing down wouldn't help. It would only speed up the team's elimination. It was better to fight hard, give it their all, and fight for victory, one game at a time. So, everyone was united and started to roar, challenging the Saints! Although the 49ers were the second seed and the Saints were the third seed, everyone knew that the 49ers were the challengers. The youthful 49ers were about to charge into their first playoff game in eight years!
"Saints!"
The shouts spread from the house and began to extend little by little, until the entire street started to roar. At this moment, the 49ers of San Francisco used their courage to sound the horn of offense!
A look at the 2011 season team stats shows that the NFC had an incredible burst of energy this season: four of the top five offenses were in the conference; three of the top five quarterbacks by rating were also in the conference. Any collision between two teams was bound to be spectacular and brilliant.
Now, the first key matchup was born: San Francisco 49ers VS New Orleans Saints! Lu Ke VS Drew Brees! The league's third-best offense VS the league's second-best offense! The third-best quarterback by rating VS the second-best quarterback by rating! The number one rookie quarterback VS one of the elite quarterbacks!
No need to say more, this game was enough to ignite all the hype. Especially the last point, every season, the changing of the old and new guards is bound to be the focus of the entire league's attention, because only the rise of a new generation can ensure that the league's competitiveness can continue for a long time. And only the perseverance of veterans can ensure that history continues to be made and carried on.
In fact, the entire league was hoping that the New Orleans Saints would defeat the Detroit Lions, because that way, this matchup between a new and old quarterback would officially begin. From a viewership and topic of discussion standpoint, this was undoubtedly the best choice. As for the other game, if the New York Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons, it would be Eli Manning vs. Aaron Rodgers, which was also the best point of interest for viewership. Of course, the league hoped for such a matchup, but it also depended on whether the Falcons would agree to it—and it was clear that they would not give up easily.
Similarly, the league must have its own expectations for the AFC playoff matchups. However, competitive sports are full of countless surprises. Expectations and reality are more or less prone to deviations. Only when all factors come together can a classic matchup that goes down in history emerge. So, many times, the Super Bowl game is not as exciting as the first three rounds of the playoffs and can even fall into a dull and boring rut.
After the first NFC wild card game ended, the blueprint that the league had envisioned was a quarter of the way to success, so the NFL officially responded immediately.
"A Matchup for the History Books!"
The official promotion was very clever. They avoided the focus on the changing of the old and new guards and instead centered the content on "a Chinese-American quarterback's first appearance on the playoff stage in January," elaborating and extending it to emphasize the importance and uniqueness of this playoff game. They went on to say that having Drew Brees, a top-tier quarterback, as the opponent for this game, undoubtedly added to the drama. It was the perfect matchup and the perfect collision.
"No matter the outcome, this will be a matchup that goes down in history. What's more exciting than the two best-performing quarterbacks from the regular season going head-to-head in a real battle?"
At the same time, the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers also received official instructions and expressed their positions on their official Twitter and Facebook accounts.
"The journey has just begun, and our footsteps have not stopped." This was the official statement from the Saints, accompanied by a picture of Drew Brees's number nine jersey, stained with sweat and dirt.
"We are the 49ers! We are warriors! Keep fighting!" This was the official statement from the San Francisco 49ers, accompanied by a picture of the vast sea of red at Candlestick Park. In the center stood a small figure, raising his right hand high, his fist clenched, and his veins bulging as he roared. The skinny figure was none other than number 14!
In the midst of the storm, he unleashed a powerful force from the depths of his soul, a force strong enough to move the earth!
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